How To Lookup EIN Numbers

There are many reasons why you might want to lookup EIN numbers. The Employee Identification Number (EIN) is a number assigned by the IRS, and it is listed in different places. This means you also have several options available to look these numbers up. Some of those options are online, but you can also check the W2 form of the employee in question.

What Is An EIN Number?

An EIN number is a federal number that the IRS issues to every employer to use for tax identification purposes. All employers have to have an EIN, whether they are a nonprofit organization, a business, a local or state government agency, or any other company. Because these numbers are used everywhere, across the country, it is a good reference to help individuals identify certain organizations.

How To Lookup EIN Numbers:

The easiest way to lookup EIN numbers is through the W2 form. However, if you do not have this form, then there are other options available as well. You’ll be happy to know that most of these lookup options are completely free, although there are some services, particularly databases, that will want you to take out a subscription. Take your time to find out which one of the solutions is most suitable to you, as your motivation for looking up these numbers will play an important role in your choice.

Some of the options available to you include:

1. Look up the EIN number that is linked to publicly traded companies by heading to their Investor Relations website. It is common for these companies to have an SEC filings page through the Securities and Exchange Commission. You can simply head there and open their filing document. The first page of the document should list the EIN number.

2. Visit the SEC EDGAR, which has a forms and filings database online. You can use this completely for free to lookup EIN numbers and is particularly useful if the number you’re looking for belongs to employers that don’t post their own SEC filings. On the EDGAR database, you can find any SEC filing that has been made by publicly traded companies, whether they personally post them online or not.

3. Use a pay-as-you-go service to lookup a number through a third party database provider. Examples include EINFinder and KnowX. These enable you to pay solely for those searches that you actually do, rather than having to sign up to a full subscription service. If you’re only looking for a few numbers, then this is generally the cheapest option.

4. Use a commercial EIN database and sign up to a subscription service. Make sure that you compare prices, however, as most of these services have regular special offers on. Additionally, it is quite common for these services to give you a free trial that runs either for a certain length of time or for a certain number of searches. This means that you can still look up numbers for free, even if you then decide not to sign up to the subscription service.